One of our main functions as garden is to grow produce for the Yarra Valley Estate Wedding and Conference Centre. We just LOVE edible flowers. Being able to handpick a bucket of edible flowers before a wedding really sets us apart and is actually so easy! Spring is the best time for flower growing and if done right we will be producing flowers all year round. Punnets of flowers for sale can be anything up to $7.50 for 20 flowers but it’s so easy to grow your own.
We use Nasturtiums and society garlic flowers as savoury flowers on salads and pansies, Chinese lanterns, Cornflowers, borage and pineapple sage on sweets or cocktails to name a few.
Campanulas can make a great replacement for zucchini flowers as they can be stuffed with goats cheese e.g. and served as canapés and they produce so many flowers!
Edible Forest Salad
In Spring it is so nice to just wander through the garden a forage for a salad.
One I made last year and will do again this year for sure was my Canna lily bulb foraged Forest salad.
Ingredients;
- 2 or 3 Canna edulis bulb (the new rhizomes)
- Foraged greens- linden leaves, gotu kola, water celery etc with a mix of lettuce
- 1 table spoon Olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup red onion sliced thin
Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Roast Canna bulbs as you would roast potato’s until translucent, soft and cooked through. (let cool)
- Chop veggies and prepare dressing by placing all ingredients into a blender and blending until smooth.
- place chopped greens into a salad bowl with cooled cannas and pour dressing over top.
Enjoy!
